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‘Wicked problems’ are social issues that are difficult to define, challenging to resolve, and highly contested (Rittel and Webber, 1973). Housing in Australia has become a ‘wicked problem’ with multiple layers.

In Australia, there are tensions that arise between seeing housing as a human right and viewing housing as a commodity from which to make and sustain wealth. In addition, there are different forms of housing aimed towards catering for different population and individual needs, ranging from emergency shelters, transitional and temporary housing, social and community housing, market and non-market rentals, lease arrangements, ‘special needs’ housing, respite and permanent aged care, affordable home ownership, and market home ownership. The political tensions and issues arising out of housing affordability, availability, and choice, creates significant policy and planning issues.

Recently there has been a concentrated focus on the impacts of housing affordability for young Australians entering adulthood at a time of historically high housing costs both in home ownership and the rental sector. This has fostered—and even encouraged—generational tensions, where it is perceived that wealth is concentrated among older generations. While older Australians in general are likely to be more wealthy than younger Australians, not all older people have benefitted from rising house prices and the asset economy. Notably, while the embers of intergenerational tensions have been fanned by the media and politicians, housing precarity impacts everyone.

For this symposium, we invite submissions that engage with the ‘wicked problem’ of housing including challenging contemporary approaches to, and perceptions of, housing. We welcome submissions scrutinising (though are not limited to):

• Problem-solving the lack of affordable housing, lack of housing diversity and options, and rising housing costs;
• Scrutinising the causes and blockages to adequate public/ social housing;
• Rising rates of housing precarity (including homelessness);
• The housing needs and desires of ageing populations (which includes younger and older people);
• Policy, planning, and living challenges of tiny/small homes;
• Generational tensions created by the asset economy, including how blame is attributed;
• Diverse strategies pursued to acquire housing (i.e., intergenerational transfers, co-living arrangements, shared ownership);
• The role of housing insecurity in shaping the lifecourse and life trajectories of younger and older people;
• Housing development (including mixed-zones) and urban sprawl;
• Sustainable and inclusive housing development and design; and
• The challenges and problems associated with planning and design of homes (including supported living), and the integration of technologies.